Many people in Milton Keynes have to choose between heating and eating during the winter months. With the Covid-19 pandemic, this season will be even more challenging. Milton Keynes Community Foundation explain how with your help, we can help them stay warm, safe and well.
Since March, levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness have risen, with more people reaching out for mental health support than ever before. With a rising number of Coronavirus cases being reported, and local lockdowns increasing, this is only set to get worse.
With your help, we can help them stay warm, safe and well.
How you can help:
- Donate your Winter Fuel Payment
Your donations will help MK Community Foundation make sure vulnerable people across the borough of Milton Keynes have the support they need to get through the winter.
Their latest Vital Signs report has highlighted that continued support is needed. Your donations will enable them to support organisations supporting important issues including:
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Mental Health Support - YiS Milton Keynes had the most referrals for counselling ever recorded over a 3-month period (April – June 2020), with 180, compared to the 86 they received in 2019 over the same period.
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Support for older people - Age UK MK saw an increase of 153% (23 to 58) in their befriender service between March and June 2020, with many callers expressing feelings of loneliness.
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Food provision - MK Foodbank provided 11,400 food parcels in 2019, equivalent to 950 per month. Between March and July 2020, they gave out over 12,400 food parcels, an average of 2480 every month.
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Supporting those experiencing domestic violence - The period April – July 2020 compared with April 2018 – March 2019 saw an increase in Domestic Violence from 2.6 to 10.7 per 1000 population or household according to Thames Valley Police data.
What MK Community Foundation have funded so far
Through their Covid-19 Emergency Funding, the MK Community Foundation have given out 126 grants to the value of £165,000. This included grants to homelessness organisations Winter Night Shelter, SMART CJS and Milton Keynes Homelessness Partnership, which enabled them to provide:
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Food – they have been providing home cooked meals and other food packages. Many were put into emergency accommodation which didn’t have any cooking facilities
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Welfare – a Welfare Manager supported them with their mental health and wellbeing
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24 hour support to those who were staying in a local hotel
Without the funding from MK Community Foundation they would have struggled with the additional costs associated with these services. It has been a lifeline in a very difficult time for so many, with beneficiaries saying:
“This means so much to me, never has anyone cared for me anytime. Bless you, and I will always be grateful for your help.”
And “I would like to thank the night shelter for showing such kindness on delivering their food parcels. I don’t know what I would have done during these horrible days. A big thank you to everyone involved.”
*donations of up to £75 will be doubled on week one, and up to £5,000 on week two. Donations will be doubled during the dates specified only, or until the match fund pot runs out.
More details about the Milton Keynes Community Foundation's Surviving Winter campaign can be found here.
© MKFM News 2020
